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Fats Waller

Background information
Birth name Thomas Wright Waller
Born May 21, 1904(1904-05-21)
Origin New York City
Died December 15, 1943 (aged 39)
Genre(s) Jazz
Occupation(s) Pianist
Instrument(s) Piano

Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904 — December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer and comedic entertainer. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on The City of New York Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Jazz piano has been an integral part of the Jazz idiom since its inception in both solo and ensemble settings The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Comedy (from the Greek κωμωδίαkomodia has a popular meaning (any discourse generally intended to amuse especially in Television, Film, and See also Entertainment (disambiguation and The Entertainer (disambiguation Entertainment is an activity designed to give people

A skilled pianist -- widely recognized as a master of stride piano -- Waller was one of the most popular performers of his era, finding critical and commercial success in his homeland and in Europe. Stride, also known as New York ragtime, is a jazz piano style where the pianist's left hand may play a four-beat pulse with a bass note or tenth interval on the first and third Waller was also a prolific songwriter, with many songs he wrote or co-wrote still known to modern audiences, such as "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Squeeze Me". " Honeysuckle Rose " is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. " Ain't Misbehavin' " is a 1929 song written by Harry Brooks with Fats Waller (music and Andy Razaf (lyrics Fellow pianist and composer Oscar Levant dubbed Waller "the black Horowitz" in a favorable comparison to Russian pianist Vladimir Horowitz[1]. Oscar Levant ( December 27, 1906 &ndash August 14, 1972) was an American Pianist, Composer, Author Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (ולדימיר הורוביץ Владимир Самойлович Горовиц Vladimir Samojlovič Gorovits; Володимир Самійлович A prolific composer of novelty swing tunes in the 1920s and 30s, Waller sold many of his compositions for relatively small sums, and as they became hits, other songwriters had already claimed them as their own. Thus many standards are alternatively, controversially attributed to Waller.

Contents

Biography

He was born in New York City on 10th Avenue[2] to a Baptist minister father. Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. In 1888, when the Waller family migrated from Virginia to New York City they chose Waverly Place in Greenwich Village in order to belong to the Abyssinian Baptist Church. When the church moved uptown to Harlem the family followed and settled eventually at 107 West 134th street. Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African American cultural and business center [3][2] Fats's grandfather, Adolph Waller, was an accomplished violinist.

Waller started his musical career at an early age. He studied classical piano and organ as a child, taught largely by the music director of his Baptist church, who insisted he also learn the organ works of J. S. Bach. Waller learned the latest piano style from following a player piano recording of legendary Harlem stride pianist James P. Johnson's "Carolina Shout. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise" The player piano is a self-playing Piano, containing a pneumatic mechanism that plays on the piano action pre-programmed Music via perforated paper rolls James Price Johnson ( February 1 1894 &ndash November 17 1955) was an African-American Pianist and Composer. " Subsequently, Waller took regular piano lessons from Johnson, a pivotal jazz artist, and joined him making piano rolls for the QRS Music Roll Company. A piano roll is the music Storage medium used to operate the Player piano, pianola or a Reproducing piano. He also benefitted from legendary stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith, who gave Fats the nickname "Filthy". William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith ( 23 November, 1893 &ndash 18 April, 1973) aka "The Lion", was an [3] The Lion's love for 19th Century impressionistic composers helped extend Waller's use of classical pianistic devices.

Johnson introduced Waller to the world of rent parties (parties with a piano player, designed to help pay the rent by charging the guests), and obtained his first piano roll assignments and recordings for Okeh Records when Waller was only 18. A rent party (sometimes called a House party) is a social occasion where tenants hire a musician or band to play and pass the hat to raise money to pay their rent originating

On December 15, 1943, Waller died of pneumonia while stopped at the railroad station in Kansas City. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal He was in his private railroad car, returning to New York after a two week engagement in Los Angeles. Waller was only 39. [4] His weight of nearly 300 pounds (136 kg) and perpetual drinking habit are believed to have contributed to his premature death. His size was the subject of jokes in one of his final radio appearances, December 5 on the Edgar Bergen - Charlie McCarthy show.

Musical contributions

An excellent and much copied jazz pianist, Waller is considered one of the very best to have played in the stride style. With a touch that varied from subtle and extremely light to very powerful, he was a master of dynamics and tension and release. However, it was his singing, songwriting, and lovable, roguish stage personality that sold his hundreds of recordings for RCA Victor, in a day when much of society did not recognize jazz as "serious" music. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. He played with many performers, from Gene Austin to Erskine Tate to Adelaide Hall, but his greatest success came with his own five- or six-piece combo, "Fats Waller and his Rhythm". Gene Austin ( June 24, 1900 &ndash January 24, 1972) was an American Singer and Songwriter who is considered Adelaide Hall ( 20 October 1901 &ndash 7 November 1993) was an American -born British Jazz Singer Fats Waller was such an impressive and talented pianist that he came to the attention of the rich and famous—- sometimes whether he wanted to or not. Waller was in Chicago in 1926 and, upon leaving the building where he was performing, he was kidnapped by four men, who bundled him into a car and drove off. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The car later pulled up outside the Hawthorne Inn, owned by infamous gangster Al Capone. Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17 1899 &ndash January 25 1947 commonly nicknamed Scarface, was an Italian American Gangster who Fats was ordered inside the building, to find a party in full swing. With a gun against his back, Waller was pushed towards a piano, whereupon the gangsters demanded he start playing. A terrified Waller suddenly realized he was the "surprise guest" at Al Capone's birthday party. Soon comforted by the fact that he wouldn't die, Waller played, according to rumor, for three days. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash given to him by Capone himself and by party-goers as tips. [3]

Among his songs are "Squeeze Me" (1919), "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now", "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1929), "Blue Turning Grey Over You", "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" (1929), "Honeysuckle Rose" (1929), and "Jitterbug Waltz" (1942). Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common " Ain't Misbehavin' " is a 1929 song written by Harry Brooks with Fats Waller (music and Andy Razaf (lyrics Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " Honeysuckle Rose " is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He collaborated successfully with the Tin Pan Alley lyricist Andy Razaf for a number of years. Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City -centered music publishers and Songwriters who dominated the popular Andy Razaf ( December 16, 1895 &ndash February 3, 1973) (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo also Razafkeriefo Waller also composed stride piano display pieces such as "Handful of Keys", "Valentine Stomp" and "Viper's Drag. " His songs have become standards of the jazz repertoire.

Waller made a successful tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland in the late 1930s, and appeared in one of the earliest BBC Television broadcasts. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic While in Britain, Waller also recorded a number of songs for EMI on their Compton Theatre organ located in their Studios in St John's Wood, London. The EMI Group is a British music company comprising the major record company EMI Music – which operates several labels and is based in Kensington in A theatre organ is a Pipe organ originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra but in latter years new designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and Abbey Road Studios, established in November 1931 by EMI in London, England, is a Recording studio located at number 3 Abbey Road, For the rock band please see St John's Wood (band For the Australian locality St Johns Wood see main article St John's Wood Queensland London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. He appeared in several feature films and short subject films, most notably "Stormy Weather" in 1943, which was released only months before his death. Stormy Weather is the title of an American musical Motion picture produced and released by 20th Century Fox in 1943 Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

For his hit Broadway show, "Hot Chocolates", with Razaf he wrote "(What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue)?" (1929) which became a hit for Ethel Waters and Louis Armstrong. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ethel Waters ( October 31, 1896 &ndash September 1, 1977) was an American Blues and Jazz Vocalist Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter This song, a searing treatment of racism, black and white, calls into question the early accusations of "shallow entertainment" ignorantly leveled at both Armstrong and Waller. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that

Waller could read and write music well (from his classical keyboard studies) and would even, on occasion, perform organ works of Bach for small groups. He left his stamp on many pre-bop jazz pianists. Count Basie and Erroll Garner, for example, would have sounded very different absent the Waller sound. William "Count" Basie ( August 21, 1904 &ndash April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, Organist Erroll Louis Garner ( June 15 1921 &ndash January 2 1977) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer Today, Dick Hyman, Mike Lipskin, Louis Mazatier and other jazz pianists perform in the Waller idiom. Dick Hyman (born March 8, 1927, New York City) is an American jazz pianist/keyboardist and composer best known for his versatility with jazz piano styles Mike Lipskin is a stride pianist of the pre bop jazz style noted piano instructor record producer and author Although the stride style, like all jazz, must be learned primarily by ear, many scholars have transcribed his brilliant improvisations from old recordings and radio broadcasts, in sheet music form. The pianist and keyboard professor Paul Posnak has produced transcriptions of 16 of Waller's greatest solos, published by Hal Leonard, which Posnak uses in concerts worldwide. Paul Posnak is an American Pianist and music academic He is noted for playing repertoires mixing twentieth century American music with European romantic classics Hal Leonard Corporation is a US music publishing company headquartered in Milwaukee WI

In addition to his virtuosic playing, Waller was known for his many quips during his performances, including: "One never knows, do one?" "No lady, We can't haul your ashes for 25 cents, that's bad business. " "Mercy!" "Well all right then!" "I wonder what the poor people are doing. . . I'd love to be doing it with them!" "Run into and stab me, but don't bruise me!" and "Wot's da matta wit DAT?!"

Grammy Hall of Fame

Recordings of Fats Waller were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance. The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. "

Fats Waller: Grammy Hall of Fame Awards[5]
Year Recorded Title Genre Label Year Inducted Notes
1934 Honeysuckle Rose Jazz (Single) Victor 1999
1929 Ain't Misbehavin' Jazz (Single) Victor 1984 Listed in the National Recording Registry
by the Library of Congress in 2004. " Honeysuckle Rose " is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. " Ain't Misbehavin' " is a 1929 song written by Harry Brooks with Fats Waller (music and Andy Razaf (lyrics Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->The recordings preserved The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Revival and posthumous awards

A Broadway musical revue showcasing Waller tunes entitled Ain't Misbehavin' was produced in 1978. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. Ain't Misbehavin is a musical Revue with a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) (The show and a star of the show, Nell Carter, won Tony Awards for the show. Nell Carter ( September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American singer and film stage and television actress The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented ) The show opened at the Longacre Theatre and ran for over 1600 performances. The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 220 West 48th Street in midtown Manhattan. It was revived on Broadway in 1988. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Performed by five African American actors, it included such songs as "Honeysuckle Rose", "This Joint Is Jumpin'", and "Ain't Misbehavin'". " Honeysuckle Rose " is a 1928 song composed by Fats Waller, with lyrics written by Andy Razaf. " Ain't Misbehavin' " is a 1929 song written by Harry Brooks with Fats Waller (music and Andy Razaf (lyrics

Waller's music is featured in the 2008 movie "Be Kind Rewind".

Inductions

Year Inducted Title
2008 Gennett Records Walk of Fame
2005 Jazz at Lincoln Center: Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame
1993 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
1989 Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame
1970 Songwriters Hall of Fame

Popular culture

References

  1. ^ Palmer, David. All You Need Is Love. Viking Press. 1976. ISBN 0670114480.
  2. ^ a b Krebs, Albin and Robert Thomas Jr. Plaque in Harlem a Memorial to Fats Waller. New York Times. 19 August 1981.
  3. ^ a b c Waller, Maurice and Anthony Calabrese. Fats Waller. Schirmer Books. 1977. ASIN B000JV3G1U.
  4. ^ Fats Waller, Negro Band Leader, Dies. San Antonio Light. 15 December 15 1943, p. 4.
  5. ^ Grammy Hall of Fame Database

See also

External links

Andy Razaf ( December 16, 1895 &ndash February 3, 1973) (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo also Razafkeriefo Stride, also known as New York ragtime, is a jazz piano style where the pianist's left hand may play a four-beat pulse with a bass note or tenth interval on the first and third The Internet Broadway Database ( IBDB) is an online Database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel
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